Wood veneer slicing elements temperature maintenance means



g- 9, 1966 D r- HERVEY 3,265,103

WOOD VENEER SLICING ELEMENTS TEMPERATURE MAINTENANCE MEANS Filed Feb. 11, 19 64 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2O 30 5% .|.|.|.|[Rm. ?.H

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INVENTOR.

1956 n. E. HERVEY 3,265,103

WOOD VENEER SLIGING ELEMENTS TEMPERATURE MAINTENANCE MEANS Filed Feb. 11, 1964 3 Shegts-Sheet 2 IN E TQR.

United States Patent 3 265,103 WOOD VENEER SLICiNG ELEMENTS TEMPERA- TURE MAINTENANCE MEANS David E. Hervey, 1806 High St., Logansport, Ind. Filed Feb. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 344,099 4 Claims. (Cl. 144-178) This invention relates to the cutting of veneers or thin slices from a large body differing in temperature from ambient temperatures.

Heretofore the control mechanisms for determining the thickness and uniformity of a slice of veneer has been subject to temperature variations during the process of cutting due to several factors such as the degree of heat or cold of the body to be cut, the size of said body, the position of said body in the machine, down time in removing dog boards and mounting flitohes, the rate of cutting, the variations in ambient temperatures and the proximity of the body to various machine control parts. These temperature variations working in different degree on each machine part and on different portions of each part cause uneven cutting and great loss and destruction if not controlled.

In a veneer cutting machine this has long been recognized as one of the greatest problems in the industry. Various stress and strain tension and compression devices have been incorporated in the machines to afford some means of continuously adjusting these parts during the process of cutting, with push and pull screws. It now takes the most highly skilled man available to continually make these adjustments to prevent the production of highly defective or Waste veneers. At best all present cutting of veneer is controlled by balanced compromise of plus and minus pressures constantly changing with the exact cutting requirements never obtainable at any given time. The cutting of wood veneer for example requires that the logs or flitches be cooked for days at say 180 and then placed on the machine and cut to say 140. Whether the logs are cut on a rotary lathe or flitches are cut on a slicer, the principle is the same. As the wood passes the pressure bar, its nose must bury itself evenly into the surface of the wood for its entire length to afford the proper tensioning of the wood for the cutting by the knife which is parallel to the pressure bar. The knife engages the wood slightly after the pressure bar, and enters the wood in front of the pressure bar, at a spaced relationship according to .the desired thickness of the veneers to be cut. This spaced relationship between the pressure bar and the knife edge must be constantly very accurate in order to produce acceptable veneer for the trade and this has always been one of the greatest problems and sources of trouble and losses in the business.

This invention eliminates the necessity of constantly adjusting machine parts to produce very accurate cutting and thus produces a much finer product at greatly reduced expense and difficulty. This is accomplished by heating the machine parts contiguous to the veneer flitch to approximately its temperature to maintain that temperature whether the machine is in actual operation or not.

For a more specific description of the problem and the solution as afforded by this invention, reference is made to the drawing in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a veneer slicer, FIG. 2 is an elevation of a veneer slicer carriage, FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the temperature modifying means of the invention and FIG. 4 is a partial cross section of a veneer slicer cutting veneer.

With continued reference to the drawing slicer carriage 11 holding pressure bar 12 adjustable by push screws 13 and pull screws 14 in predetermined spaced relationship to knife 15 advances in steps to and into hot log ice flitch 16. Hot log flitch 16 held by stay log 17 raises and lowers at each advancing step aforementioned of carriage 11 holding pressure bar 12 and knife 15 thus engaging said flitch 16 and slicing veneer therefrom. While push and pull screws 13 and 14 are adjusted to maintain a semblance of straightness in pressure bar 12 as it is heated by flitch 16 or cooled by ambient temperatures by idle periods such as during the period of charging the machine or honing the knife, compression screw 18 of horizontal cap flange 19 is used to increase or decrease compression on cap flange 19 to overcome the overall bending of cap flange 19 due to changes in heat of the same. Screws 20 and 20' advance the carriage in steps.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of carriage 11 as shown in FIG. 1 showing vertical cap flange 21 with tensioning screw 22 to adjust the cap flange 21 by exerting varying tension on the same according to its temperature to maintain a straight line horizontal relationship between pressure bar 12 and the cutting edge of knife 15. The veneer passes in front of pressure bar 12 and behind knife 15 and over skirt 23 (see FIG. 4). Bolts 24 hold the knife in place while the carriage 11 advances on slides 25 and 25.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the temperature conditioning mechanism and its relationship to various parts of a veneer slicer carriage. In elevation the carriage of the veneer slicer as shown in FIG. 2 is outlined showing vertical flange 21, pressure bar 12 and skirt 23 which have their temperature modified by having heat conducting fluid passed therethrough.

Fluid exit line 26 passing from fluid passages 27 (FIG. 4) in flange 21, and 28 in flange 19, enters water circulator 29 and from thence to water cooler 30. In a like manner fluid exit line 31 passing from fluid passages 32 (FIG. 4) in pressure bar 12 enters fluid circulator 33 and from thence to water cooler 30. Also in like manner fluid exit line 34 passing from fluid passage 35 (FIG. 4) in skirt 23 enters fluid circulator 36 and thence into water cooler 30. In the present example of the invention the fluid is cooled by water cooler 30 from whence it passes through line 37 to temperature warming regulator 38 to precondition said fluid to exact specifications predetermined for the optimum operation of the slicer and from said regulator 30 said fluid enters said cap flanges 21 and 19 by means of fluid line 39 and enters pressure bar 12 by means of fluid line 46 and enters skirt 23 by means of fluid line 41. Water circulators 29, 33 and 36 induce the flow of heat conducting fluid to, through and from cap parts 21 and 19, pressure bar 12, and skirt 23 respectively.

In FIGURE 4 a more detailed picture of the veneer cutting and operation is shown as well as the means of carrying unwanted heat away from the machine parts. Heated wood flitch 16 secured to stay log 17 travels up and down as indicated by arrow 42. While it is in the up position carriage 11 moves forward as indicated by arrow 43 on slide 25 a distance equal to the thickness of the veneer 44 to be cut. The wood of flitch 16 is then forced downward between the point of pressure bar 12 and the point of veneer knife 15 and thus produces a slice of veneer 44.

Unwanted heat such as might come from an overheated flitch is transferred from wood flitch 16 and veneer sheet 44 to cap flange 21 and 19, nose bar 12, and skirt 23 by conduction, convection and radiation.

Temperature regulated heat carrying fluid is forced through passages 27, 28 by water circulator 29, FIG. 3, through passages 32 by water circulator 33 in FIG. 3, and through passage 35 by water circulator 36, thus carrying away excess heat (if the veneer flitch is too hot) which is dissipated in water cooler 30, transferred to a, a water warmer 38 through line 37 where it is regulated to predetermined temperature before entering flanges 21 and Why means of line 39, nose bar 12 by means of line 40-and skirt 23 by means of line 41 thus forming a closed circuit for repeat or continuous performance.

With this invention it is possible to place in position a knife and pressure bar in the exact desired relationship and cut veneers continuously Without adjustments (except for wear) thus saving much time and work and producing considerably more veneer and of a much higher grade and more consistent quality than was formerly possible.

What is claimed is:

1. A veneer cutting machine comprising a knife, a pressure bar in spaced relation to said knife, a fluid passage in said pressure bar, a temperature regulating fluid, and means for causing said temperature regulating fluid to flow through said pressure bar whereby said pressure bar is maintained at a temperature approximately conforming to that of a heated veneer flitch to be cut.

2. A veneer cutting machine comprising a cutting knife, a pressure bar in spaced relation to said knife, a cap in spaced relation to and supporting said pressure bar, a fluid passage within said pressure bar, a fluid passage within said cap, a heated fluid means for causing flow of said fluid within said passage of said pressure bar, and means for causing flow of fluid within said passage in said cap whereby said pressure bar and said cap may be maintained at approximately the same temperature as a heated flitch to be cut.

3. A veneer cutting machine comprising a veneer cutting knife, a skirt supporting said knife, a fluid passage within said skirt, a pressure bar, a cap supporting said pressure bar, a fluid passage Within said cap, fluid heat transferring medium, means for causing flow of said fluid heat transferring medium into and out from said skirt, said pressure bar and said cap whereby said skirt, said pressure bar, and said cap may'be maintained at approximately the same temperature as a heated flitch to be cut.

4. A veneer slicing machine comprising a cutting edge, a mechanism supporting said cutting edge, a control mechanism to gauge the depth of said cut, a fluid passage within said depth control mechanism heat conducting fluid flowing Within said passage and means for controlling the temperature of said fluid whereby said mechanism may be maintained at approximately the same temperature as the material being sliced.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1942 Garrison et al 83-171 X 4/1954 McFall 144178 

2. A VENEER CUTTING MACHINE COMPRISING A CUTTING KNIFE, A PRESSURE BAR IN SPACED RELATION OF SAID KNIFE, A CAP IN SPACED RELATION TO AND SUPPORTING SAID PRESSURE BAR, A FLUID PASSAGE WITHIN SAID PRESSURE BAR, A FLUID PASSAGE WITHIN SAID CAP, A HEATED FLUID MEANS FOR CAUSING FLOW OF SAID FLUID WITHIN SAID PASSAGE OF SAID PRESSURE BAR, AND MEANS FOR CAUSING FLOW OF FLUID WITHIN SAID PASSAGE IN SAID CAP WHEREBY SAID PRESSURE BAR AND SAID CAP MAY BE MAINTAINED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS A HEATED FLITCH TO BE CUT. 